Princess Fay?
by gwendal738
Summary: The gang is in a new world where the feather is the price for the prettiest maiden in the land. But when Sakura, the only maiden in the group, falls asleep at the last minute, what will the other three do? KuroFay Chapter 4 posted DISCONTINUED
1. Prologue

A/N: I know I have another in progress Tsubasa fic, but I decided to start on this one as well anyway. I just felt so inspired by the heartwarming yet heartbreaking love story of Kurogane and Fay! This fic is dedicated to this oh so wonderful pairing that lit up my life… Anyway, this one is another Kuro/Fay from me. Oh, and that fic I discontinued will be continued one of these days… I'm working on it. And also as an early warning: I am also a beta, so I may not update my fics very often… That's all, and thank you for all your support! Oh, and this is set after Piffle World…

**Princess Fay?!**

**Prologue:**

The prince violently shook his head and turned away from his father, the king. "No! There is no way I'm going to marry! I'm seventeen, for gods' sakes!"

The king raised his voice. "Eivenrich! You know that as a prince of our country Eizenhovern, your duty to marry is crucial! If you don't marry soon, the Sovenhoots will cancel their alliance with us, and without a strong military force invaders will view our country as easy prey! And on top of that, we will lose power!" (1)

Eivenrich turned sharply. "SO ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS MAINTANING YOUR POWER OVER THE COUNTRY?! WHAT ABOUT MY HAPPINESS, FATHER?!"

The king raised his voice a tad higher. "EIVENRICH! AS A PRINCE, YOU HAVE TO SACRIFICE YOUR OWN HAPPINESS FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR PEOPLE!"

The prince's face tightened as he bit his lip and clenched his fist. "…Of course. Whatever you wish, father… But what about the mysterious source of power…?"

The king nodded. "We cannot aggravate the people by saying that you _need_ to marry. We will use that as a price to cover up the real purpose of holding the contest. Now I must go." The king then went out of the royal hall together with two lesser nobles who were trying their best to flatter the king. The prince shook his head and returned to his royal chambers.

* * *

"Hyuu! What a strange world we have landed in this time…" Fay commented while looking around. A faint growl came from underneath him.

"Oi… Get off me…" Kurogane said in a dangerously low voice. It turned out that Fay was still sitting on top of him while Sakura and Syaoran already got off. Fay just laughed and pretended not to notice, all for the sake of angering the now very irate ninja.

"Hmmm, I wonder where daddy went?" Fay pretended to look around. "He doesn't seem to be anywhere. Do you see him, Mokona?"

"Kurorin! Kurorin! Where are you?" Mokona laughed while getting on Fay's head and pretending to look around for Kurogane.

"Oi… you damn mage…" Kurogane was about to explode. Fay just kept pretending to look around while Syaoran and Sakura were sweatdropping. Mokona and Fay just continued to call Kurogane names in a singsongy voice while still sitting on top of him. That was the last straw. Kurogane got up abruptly which caused the mage to fall down hard on the ground. The said mage stood up, wincing from the pain.

"Waaah, Kuro-pon… You're so mean…"

Kurogane clutched his sword victoriously. "Not my fault if you didn't wanna get off."

A few minutes later, they reached the town just outside the forest they had landed in. There were people bustling around in what looked like to be market stands, and they were surprised at all the beautiful maidens running around. They were even more surprised when they saw a large picture of Sakura's feather on what seems like to be some kind of tapestry hanging over a huge building that looks like a castle. There was some strange writing on it.

"I can read it." Syaoran said. "It says, 'the price for the most beautiful maiden in the land.' I can't read the rest, though."

"Amazing, Syaoran-kun!" Sakura praised. "You can read anything, no matter what world we're in!"

"Yeah, amazing indeed, Syaoran-kun." Fay agreed. Syaoran blushed.

"I learned a lot from my father."

"Putting that aside, how do we get the feather? If you said it says that it's the price for the most beautiful maiden in the land… Could they be holding some kind of contest?"

"You're right, traveler." An old woman piped in. "I'm sorry for butting in rudely. I am Sarankoch. That feather is the price for the most beautiful maiden in the land, but of course choosing the best is not going to be easy."

"Why is that?" Syaoran asked.

"You see, beauty is a natural gift to all the maidens in this land. There is not a single maiden alive who is uglier than a fully bloomed Sakura."

"Amazing. So what is this contest?"

"It's simple, really. Even travelers like you can join. You just dress up in your best dress and go to the castle next week. If you're lucky enough to get chosen, you will get the feather! Every maiden in this land has been trying hard to get their hands on that feather, because it is rumored to grant their hearts' deepest desires."

"Ah, I see. Thank you for all the information. One more thing, where do you suggest we might stay?"

"Perfect timing! I run an inn. You can stay there if you want, but since maidens from far and wide have come, I only have two rooms left. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, it's a very big help. Thank you." They then followed her to the inn.

**End of Chapter**

A/N: So how did you like it? This one is kinda different from the other fics I used to write, so please watch out! Oh, and I need five reviews to update.

Note:

1: The names: I invented them, made them sound noble-ish… Whatever…


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: The next chapter! I need three reviews in order to update… Thank you so much for the reviews! This fic had gotten more attention than I had expected...

**Princess Fay?!**

**Chapter 1:**

"What's your plan, Syaoran-kun?" Fay asked Syaoran once they had gotten to the inn. They were discussing their plans in Kurogane and Fay's room.

"We cannot take the feather by force." Syaoran explained. "It will cause too much commotion and we might leave this world in chaos, so there is no choice but to enter the contest."

"I'll go." Sakura volunteered. "Besides, I'm the only maiden in this group. No one else could possibly--" Syaoran caught her when she collapsed, but their last hopes of ever getting the feather went down the drain.

"Don't look so down, Syaoran-kun. Sakura-chan is just exhausted." Fay remarked seriously. "We've been hopping from world to world too much but we haven't found a feather in days. We shouldn't push her so."

"I understand, Fay-san. Oh, I heard from the people talking that there must also be an escort, so if I go with the princess then maybe I can prevent her from falling asleep." Syaoran suggested. "But if she fell asleep during the contest…"

"I'm sure she'll get a lot of rest tonight and the nights to come." Fay encouraged. "The contest is a week away, so tomorrow we should focus on buying clothes for her. And she can get a lot of rest in a week."

Syaoran's tight face relaxed a little at Fay's suggestion. "…Yes, you're right, Fay-san. But I have to make sure she gets enough sleep tonight. Now if you'll excuse us…" Syaoran then scooped Sakura up his arms while Mokona jumped on his head. "We'll go to sleep. Goodnight, Fay-san, Kurogane-san." He then closed the door behind him with one hand.

Fay looked after the brave archaeologist with thoughtful eyes. "Syaoran-kun is a really hard worker, isn't he… he's doing everything just to make sure Sakura-chan gets all her feathers back."

He only received a grunt in reply as they both climbed into their respective beds.

* * *

Kurogane woke up with a start in the middle of the night. He didn't know why, but he just did. He sneaked a glance at the mage's bed. He seemed to be asleep, but the ninja knew better.

"Oi." Kurogane's gruff voice broke the dark silence of the room. "Stop thinking whatever you're thinking about and go to sleep."

Fay smiled at him, which the ninja knew to be one of the mage's 'don't worry about me' fake smiles. "Did I wake you up, Kuro-pon?"

Kurogane closed his eyes and said, "Tch. Go to sleep. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"…"

Kurogane turned on his back again and tried to sleep, but a few minutes later he still sensed that the mage wasn't sleeping. "Listen, the person who's coming after you won't wake up, so go to sleep. You're gonna kill yourself tomorrow if you don't."

Fay's face tightened at the indication of Ashura-ou, but he smiled anyway. "… You're right, Kuro-pon. Goodnight." He turned on his back himself and closed his eyes, letting the sleep he had so craved envelope him...

"_No! No! Get away!" Fay was running through the darkness as an image of Ashura-ou kept chasing him until he grew tired._

"_You can never run away from me, Fay… Never… No matter how much you run… No matter how many times you seal me… I am still more powerful than you are…" Ashura-ou then grabbed him by the neck and started to strangle him. (1)_

"_No! Let me go!"_

"Let me go!" Fay screamed in his sleep as Kurogane shook him awake.

"Oi! You're dreaming! Wake up!" Kurogane had turned the lights on and had rushed to the mage the minute he heard him screaming violently. The said mage's eyes snapped open. He was surprised to find himself in Kurogane's arms.

"Huh? Wha…" Fay was still in shock as Kurogane held him by the shoulders.

"You were dreaming. There is no one here except us, so there's no one chasing you." Kurogane explained briefly and stoically, poising himself to catch Fay if he should ever fall or something. Instead, the mage did what he never expected: cling onto him. The ninja was shocked as the usually happy-go-lucky _smirking _magician was _sobbing_. _On him_. Worse even than that, he found himself unconsciously stroking Fay's back! Something was wrong with this picture, something terribly wrong…

The two stayed in that position in silence for a few moments before they realized what they were doing. Fay pulled away while wiping his eyes, blushing, while Kurogane made a move to change his shirt which was now drenched in tears.

"I'm sorry… I don't know what came over me…" Fay apologized softly while sitting upright on his bed, refusing to look at the other. In contrast, Kurogane looked at him with such gentle eyes that can be expected from the gruff ninja.

He had wanted to blurt out rudely, 'go to sleep and stop bothering people with your nightmares', but instead what came out was, "If you need anything, don't hesitate to wake me up," which caused the mage's pretty blue eyes to grow big.

"…Thank you." Kurogane turned off the lights and they both climbed into their beds. A few minutes later, the mage's soft voice rang in the darkness. "Kuro-pon?"

"What?" Came the gruff reply.

"Can I… sleep beside you?" The mage asked timidly.

The ninja went bug-eyed. Is he serious?! No way in hell! Not in a million years! But he heard himself replying anyway, "Yeah, whatever." His eyes grew even bigger (if possible) as he saw Fay's thin frame come closer and finally climb in the same bed _he_ was sleeping in! What the hell was wrong with him today? Well, there was no harm in it anyway. Nothing was gonna happen unless it's mutual.

For once, a gentle, genuine smile escaped Fay's lips. "Thank you." They turned on their backs as it would be awkward facing each other. It had been a long night indeed…

* * *

The next day, the mage and the ninja were not woken up by either the early morning sun peeking through the curtains, nor birds chirping, nor even the fact that they found themselves in the same bed and had been so startled that they would end up screaming at each other's faces. No, not under those circumstances were they woken up. Indeed it was much worse than that.

Syaoran had burst into their bedroom.

"Fay-san, Kurogane-san, it's an emergency! The princess hasn't… Oh! Oh no! I'm very, very sorry!" Syaoran blushed as he ran out the door again. The mage and the ninja, still unknowing to the real world, stirred in the bed that they shared until they faced each other.

And thus came the anticipated scream.

In the dining room, Syaoran was still blushing when Kurogane and Fay came down, the ninja more grumpy than ever and the mage unusually fidgety. It took all that Syaoran could do to look at them straight in the eye. Sakura was happily eating her breakfast, having just woken up, completely oblivious to the event that happened between the two older men and Syaoran. Sensing the tension in the atmosphere, she spoke up.

"What's wrong, Syaoran-kun? You look like you saw something bad. You're so pale! Are you okay?!" At the mention of 'something bad', Syaoran's face grew paler, but he managed a small smile.

"I'm fine, princess, thank you for asking. Please don't worry about me."

Fay looked at the two younger members of their grop. "Syaoran-kun, I thought you said Sakura-chan hadn't woken up?"

Syaoran shook his head vigorously, refusing to look at the gentle mage. "No, she just got up late. I had worried too much."

Fay smiled in reply as he ate the eggs on his plate.

The ninja, on the other hand, was staring at the other members of their unusual group. He remembered himself thinking that night that there was no harm in letting the mage do what he wanted. He just wanted to sleep in the same bed, right, so what? He sensed no hidden intention (or, in his 'worst case scenario', joke) from the mage. Just an innocent request that can take away his nightmares or something. He was the type of guy who let others do what they wanted and he did the same. 'Do as you wish' is his catchphrase after all. Well, there was indeed no harm to him or to the mage at all.

But, he also soon realized, anything that the mage wanted was a big harm for others. Dear Syaoran was doomed to be traumatized for life but thankfully the mage explained what really happened.

And Kurogane made one mental note: Let others do what they wanted, EXCEPT the mage.

**End of Chapter**

A/N: I think this was a good chapter, don't you? Anyway, please review… I need three. Thank you for reading! XD Also, I think I made them too OOC… Please tell me if I did… Yes, and I gotta admit this has been too fast-paced. Oh well...

Note:

1: Ashura's address to Fay: I don't know what Ashura calls Fay, so I just put his name…


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: This fic is sooo much fun to write! Sorry for not updating the other one, but I promise I will in the future… I need two reviews to be inspired to update!

**Princess Fay?!**

**Chapter 2:**

"So what's our plan for today?" Fay asked as he went out the door with the group. Syaoran was looking at a map and was walking beside Kurogane.

"We should be buying a dress for her highness." Syaoran replied. "Kurogane-san, do you have the clothes?"

Kurogane merely grunted in reply as he showed Syaoran a big sack full of clothes that they had collected in their travels from country to country. Everyone followed Syaoran as he rounded a corner and stopped in front of an ornate shop.

"This is where they buy clothes." Syaoran announced. "I figured that we should sell our clothes and get money to in turn buy a gown for the princess."

"Smart thinking, Syaoran-kun." Fay said with a smile as he went inside the door and greeted the shopkeeper. "Good morning!"

"Greetings." The shopkeeper said with a smile. "What do you have today?"

"We have these, mister." Syaoran replied as Kurogane set down the bags in front of the man. The man surveyed the contents and smiled widely.

"My, my, you have a rare collection of clothes indeed! This bag is worth a lot of money, if you'd ask me. I'll go get some money now." The man said as he went to the back of the shop with the clothes. They sat down on the bench near the door as they waited.

Five minutes passed as the shopkeeper still didn't return, when Kurogane caught the shopkeeper out of the corner of his eye.

"That shopkeeper is running away with the clothes!" He exclaimed as the shopkeeper ran and rounded the corner while bringing the bag. The three all ran out the door to chase the thief as Syaoran asked Sakura to stay behind with Mokona.

A few minutes later, they were on a chase as the thief toppled apple stands and orange carts and tried his best to get away. Kurogane, being an experienced fighter, and Fay, having such long legs, managed to avoid the merchandise as they continued to chase the thief around, who was surprisingly fast. Syaoran kicked a falling piece of wood as he too continued the chase. A few tiring minutes later, Kurogane had the man pinned to the ground.

"Talk! Why did you try to steal our clothes?" Kurogane was infuriated as he pointed his sword to the man's throat. The man trembled and sweated as he looked fearfully at the sharp sword which might cause his death.

"I-I didn't do anything! Please let me go!" The man screamed as Kurogane pointed his sword closer.

"I said, why did you steal our clothes? I'm not going to ask twice."

"Please! I'm sorry!"

Fay looked at the man and calmed the infuriated ninja down. "Kuro-pon, please put the sword down. I don't think this man did it on purpose." The man nodded violently.

"Tch." Kurogane put away his sword and let the man sit up on his legs.

"Forgive me, kind sirs. I needed the money, so I stole these to sell to the people. They _are_ a rare set of clothes."

"Please don't do it next time." Fay said kindly with a smile. "You're not the only one who needs the money. Think of other people as well, the one you will trouble when you steal from them." The man nodded and managed a weak smile. Kurogane grabbed the bag and set back to the direction of the store. Fay got up, waved goodbye to the man, and left with Syaoran and Kurogane.

* * *

"Princess, are you alright?" Syaoran asked the princess once they got back to the store to pick her up.

"Yes. Are you hurt anywhere?" She asked worriedly. Syaoran shook his head with a smile.

"Greetings, lads!" A voice from behind the counter energetically spoke up. Fay and Kurogane turned to the direction of the voice.

"Who the hell are you?" Kurogane asked rudely. The old man laughed.

"Where're your manners, young man? I am the owner and shopkeeper of this store. The lad you chased was a notorious thief who was threatening me. Thank you very much for getting rid of him."

"We're glad to help. Oh, Good morning." Fay greeted with a smile. "We would like to sell you some clothes?"

"You've come to the right place indeed!" Than man exclaimed excitedly while clapping his two hands together. "Show me the clothes!" Kurogane then brought the bag to him.

"Ah, these are very rare indeed." The man observed while putting on his glasses and feeling the clothes. "It costs a lot, but I'm afraid I can't afford all of it."

"That's alright." Syaoran replied. "We only need a little bit of money."

"In that case, I can buy only two pieces from this marvelous collection." The man then picked Syaoran's Shura Country battle clothes and Sakura's Piffle World costume. He handed them a fairly large pouch of gold coins. "I hope that's enough."

Syaoran went bug-eyed at the size of the bag and the amount of gold coins they got. "Oh, it's more than enough! Thank you!" They then went out of the shop.

"Where do we look for Sakura-chan's clothes, Syaoran-kun?" Fay asked as they walked around town.

"According to the map, we should be near the place now." Syaoran replied without looking up.

"Where did you get that map?" Kurogane asked.

"Oh, this is from the room the princess and I were staying in. Oops, here we are." Syaoran stopped in front of a glass window with a display for women's dresses. They entered the shop.

"Greetings, travelers!" The man behind the counter greeted. "What would you like today?"

"We'd like something for her, if you don't mind." Fay replied while indicating Sakura.

"Is it for the contest next week? I have just the thing!" The man then went to the back of the shop and handed them a large box, which Kurogane took. "If you would like, I have a room at the back where you can fit the dress."

"Your highness, would you like to try it on?" Syaoran asked the princess. Sakura nodded happily.

"Okay!" The man then took the box from Kurogane and led the princess to the back of the shop.

Ten minutes later, Sakura emerged from the backroom timidly. Syaoran, Fay, and Kurogane all turned to her as she let them see the dress she was wearing. It was a light green off-shoulder gown with emerald stones on the hem. She was also wearing light green shoes and long light green gloves. Syaoran blushed, Fay went 'hyuu', and Kurogane whistled.

"I-is it okay…?" Sakura asked, a little shy. Syaoran nodded slowly, never taking his eyes off the elegant princess.

"Sakura-chan, you look really pretty! It matches your eyes!" Fay smiled while taking her hand. Kurogane merely nodded.

"H-how much would the dress be?" Syaoran asked the shopkeeper, who also couldn't take his eyes off the beautiful princess.

"Oh, that would be sixty gold coins for all of it. I'm giving you a discount because it looks positively fetching on your companion!" The man said with a smile as Syaoran gratefully handed him the money. Sakura changed back into her normal clothes and they all went out of the shop.

"Sakura-chan, you looked beautiful in that dress. Now I'm confident that we will win." Fay told Sakura sincerely. Sakura blushed at the comment.

"Th-thank you, Fay-san."

"And I'm sure Kuro-chan liked it too! Right, daddy?"

"Leave me out of this!"

* * *

Later that evening, Fay and Kurogane talked before sleeping.

"You think that princess will be alright?" Kurogane asked stoically, masking his worry. "What if she falls asleep on the night?"

"I have considered that possibility, and I told Syaoran-kun about it." Fay replied thoughtfully. "I've been trying to figure out what we'll do if that happens."

"Well, what _will_ we do?" Kurogane asked impatiently. Fay smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know."

"QUIT PRETENDING YOU HAVE A PLAN WHEN YOU DON'T!" Kurogane screamed. Fay laughed heartily and just climbed on his bed.

A few minutes later, Fay was surprised when Kurogane spoke up.

"Oi. Would it help you not to have nightmares if I said 'sweet dreams'?"

Fay's eyes widened as he looked at Kurogane's back. "E-eh?!"

Kurogane continued monotonously, "Humph, I'm not tolerating any more nightmares and you're not going to sleep beside me again, so… sweet dreams." Kurogane then pulled the blanket over him and closed his eyes, leaving a confused mage awake.

"Goodness, Kurogane-chan, don't surprise me with your sudden change of attitude." Fay said laughingly while pulling the covers over him. He only received a 'humph' in reply.

**End of Chapter**

A/N: So how was it? I hope you liked it… Thank you for the reviews, everyone!!


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: And here is the next chapter! I need two reviews, as usual… On, and chapter 5 might take a little longer... I'm still editing it coz it's not too satisfying... Anywayz, thank you all for the reviews! I can't believe all the attention this fic has gotten... (Hey, I think I remember saying that before...)

**Princess Fay?!**

**Chapter 3:**

The sun was barely peeking beyond the horizon and only a few birds were chirping about when Fay had woken up. His companion was still deep in slumber as he got out of bed and fixed it. He was about to go out for a whiff of fresh air when an unusually soft voice startled his still surroundings.

"Oi. Where do you think you're going, this early in the morning?" Came the soft but still gruff voice. Fay turned around and smiled at the unusually calm ninja, who was sitting upright in his own bed.

"The sun is barely up, so I figured a whiff of fresh air will be nice." To emphasize his point, he got his coat and faced the door. Kurogane got out of his bed and walked to the startled mage's side. "Eh? Where are _you _going, Kuro-pon?"

Kurogane sighed while looking away from the mage. "Your idea isn't half bad." He got his coat as well and walked ahead of the mage out the door. The mage shook his head as he ran after the distanced ninja.

"Kuro-chan! Wait for me!"

* * *

"It's so quiet…" Fay's voice seemingly rung throughout the empty streets. It was five am, and only a few people were out and about, mostly vendors who sell breakfast on the sidewalks or servants who wake up early to start their household chores. Fay and Kurogane were walking side by side trying to take in the peacefulness around them.

Kurogane and Fay walked in silence pointlessly for a few minutes, when Fay decided to speak up. "Ne, Kuro-run… You look like you wanna say something to me."

Kurogane merely looked at him sharply then looked away again. "What gave you that impression?"

"Hmmm... The look in your eyes, and the way you walk. You look like you want to get something out. I'm listening, so don't worry."

Kurogane sighed and paused for a long time. For what seemed like minutes, the two of them didn't say anything. Fay was about to tease Kurogane about being 'shy' when the ninja finally spoke up softly. "You didn't get nightmares, did you?"

Fay looked at him, his eyes wide in surprise. _He… cares about me? _"No, none that I can think of. I slept well last night, thanks to your 'sweet dreams' thing." Fay smiled brightly at the blushing ninja, who immediately looked away.

"… Good." Kurogane then walked away, leaving the mage behind deep in his thoughts.

When Fay realized that the ninja was long gone, he exclaimed loudly while running after him, "Eh?! Kuro-kun, you're so mean! Leaving me behind like this!"

* * *

"The contest is four days away, princess." Syaoran said worriedly. "Are you going to be alright? We have not located a feather in days."

Sakura nodded weakly while rubbing her eyes. "Yes, I'm pretty sure I'll be alright, Syaoran-kun, if you stay by my side and cheer for me. I'll try my best not to fall asleep!" She then gave out a bright smile which caused Syaoran to blush. Just then, Fay and Kurogane broke the moment when they went in.

"Ah, good morning Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan!" Fay greeted rather cheerfully. "Kuro-puu and I went out for a bit of fresh air early this morning. Now, what do we do today?"

"The contest is four days away, Fay-san." Syaoran replied. "We don't really have anything else to do because we already bought a dress for the princess."

"Ah, in that case we should go around town and have fun for a while!" Fay suggested, which caused the ninja to go thundering again.

"IS THAT ALL WHAT YOU HAVE IN MIND?! HAVE FUN?!" He exploded. Fay merely laughed in reply as he went out the door and dodged the sword that was lashed at him. Kurogane and Fay began chasing each other around town again while Syaoran put up his palms in an attempt to calm them down, sweating all the while. As soon as the two were out of sight, Syaoran offered out his hand for the princess to take.

"Shall we go, Sakura-hime?" He asked. Sakura blushed as she took Syaoran's hand.

"Okay!"

* * *

An hour later, Kurogane and Fay were nowhere to be found. Sakura and Syaoran had been searching for them ever since they disappeared an hour ago while chasing each other, but it was in vain. They decided to just look around town for a while.

"Young people, oh young ones! Would you like to try some pears?" The old woman at the sidewalk beckoned kindly while showing them a yellowish fruit.

"A pear?" Syaoran asked in bewilderment. Mokona spoke up, naturally.

"Yes!" The woman then wrapped them up a bag, which Syaoran paid for. Syaoran and Sakura each took a piece from the bag and ate it.

"It's delicious!" Syaoran exclaimed happily. Sakura nodded in agreement.

"It really is! And it's so sweet and soft! We should save some for Kurogane-san and Fay-san when they go home."

* * *

"Hmmm, I wonder where Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun went…" Fay asked no one in particular with his palm spread above his forehead while looking around. Kurogane merely grunted in frustration.

"If it wasn't for you we wouldn't be lost right now."

Fay merely laughed. "Well, it was fun getting you angry, Kuro-nyan." His stomach then growled. "I'm hungry…"

Kurogane reached into his pocket and found some gold coins. "I grabbed some from the pouch, in case we get lost. Go find a place we can eat in."

Fay looked at Kurogane slyly. "Why don't we go together?"

Kurogane rolled his eyes. "Fine." They both walked to a noodle stand they found a moment later. They sat down and ordered.

"That's two orders, right? Are you two together?" The woman behind the counter asked. Fay nodded, his face resting on his hands.

"Yes. Ummm, you _do_ have forks, right?" He asked. The woman shook her head sadly.

"I'm sorry, but we don't. We only have chopsticks." Fay looked at her in horror.

"Eh?! But I don't know how to use chopsticks." Kurogane glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and spoke.

"About time you learned how. All of the countries we've gone to so far use chopsticks, and so you must learn to use them." The woman then laid the bowl of noodles before them.

"But… who will I learn it from?" Fay asked for the sake of asking it.

"Must I tell you everything?" Kurogane then grabbed the mage's hand and positioned his fingers the proper way to hold chopsticks. "There, now that's for starters. Try grabbing something while holding the chopsticks that way." Kurogane let go of his hand temporarily to see if the mage got it.

Fay tried but the noodles kept slipping. Kurogane then took hold of his hand again, which caused the mage to blush slightly.

"Hold it tighter then try grabbing something." Kurogane was still holding his hand as he tried grabbing some noodles. Fay did it, but when Kurogane let go of his hand the noodles went limp and slid back into the bowl. Fay sighed.

"I'll starve!" He wailed while looking at Kurogane jealously, who already gave up on teaching him and was already halfway through his bowl. "You're so good, Kuro-tan."

Kurogane glanced at him and sighed. "Use your hands or something."

Fay looked at the bowl. "I would normally, but this one has soup in it, and there's nowhere in sight where I can wash my hands afterwards."

Kurogane sighed again as he seemed to think. For what seemed like after a few minutes, he grabbed Fay's bowl and started to grab some noodles. "Kuro-tan! Now you're eating my share too?!" Fay asked, pouting.

"No, you idiot. Open your mouth and don't say anything stupid, otherwise I'll leave you here." Kurogane then grabbed some noodles and directed the chopsticks towards his face. It dawned on Fay what his annoyed companion was about to do: spoon-feed him. He blushed as he looked at the outstretched chopsticks, unsure of what to do.

"What have you done to Kuro-pon, you clone?" Fay teased as Kurogane huffed angrily. "It's not you!"

"I'm doing this for your sake, damn it. You don't wanna starve to death, do you?" Kurogane said the last sentence gruffly as he was still holding out the chopsticks with noodles on them, ready to be eaten. "Besides, now you know how _I_ feel when _you_ force things into my mouth."

Fay laughed lightly as he opened his mouth and Kurogane fed him, which caused the woman at the counter to blush when she saw them. "I'm getting you back for this, Kuro-chan." Kurogane merely grunted as he looked at the bowl he was about to feed Fay; knowing the magician, they'd be here for a long time…

Fay had finished eating an hour later, despite Kurogane's complaints for him to hurry up. They then paid the red faced vendor and jumped out of their seats. Fay then spotted Syaoran and Sakura who were passing through the same street.

"Syaoran-kun! Sakura-chan!" Fay called their two companions cheerfully. Upon hearing Fay's voice, Syaoran and Sakura ran to them.

"Fay-san! Kurogane-san! Are you alright? Nothing bad happened, right?" Sakura asked worriedly. Fay smiled.

"Of course not. Anyway, have you guys eaten already?"

Syaoran and Sakura both nodded. "We ate pears, and they're really good and sweet! Here, try some!" Sakura then offered the bag to Fay, from which he took out two fruits from.

"It really is good." Fay commented while biting into the piece. He shoved the other piece into Kurogane's mouth, who bit it and then caught it in his hands.

"What the hell?!" He looked at the fruit and chewed. Fay laughed.

"That was payback, Kuro-sama!" Kurogane's eyes then sparkled dangerously as he looked down at the mage.

"You creep, forcing food into a guy's mouth!" He said angrily while chasing the mage around with a sword again.

"What about you, spoon-feeding me noodles?!" He called after the angry ninja.

"That was different! If I didn't do it, you would have starved, you damn mage!!"

Syaoran and Sakura ran after them again, afraid that they might lose sight of their companions again. "Kurogane-san, Fay-san! Please wait!"

**End of chapter**

A/N: Anyway, that was all I can think of… I thought that chapter was pretty cute, so leave a review, please! Just my thoughts on why it's convenient for Fay not to know how to use chopsticks… Nyahahaha…


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